Batten for sails



United States Patent Calif.

Filed Mar. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 350,218 3 Claims. (Cl. 114-102) This invention relates to a batten which is used in association with the sails of pleasure and racing sailboats and yachts of various types and classes. The specific location of the use is at that portion known as the roach.

An object of our invention is to provide a said batten which is light in weight, yet strong and not easily broken.

A further object is to provide such a batten which has an optimum and gradual variance in resilience throughout the entire body thereof.

A further object is to provide such a batten which is of sufiicient flexibility to avoid holding a set, commonly called memory of the previous tack.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a batten of the above type which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture and simple to use.

For further objects and for a better understanding, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the side of our novel batten.

FIGURE 2 is a view of the edge thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section view of the edge thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a view of the edge thereof showing various positions of the device when in use.

FIGURE 5 is a side view showing the position of the device in a sail, not to scale.

FIGURE 6 is a view of the edge of the device demonstrating the flexibility thereof.

Conventional sail battens are constructed entirely of one substance, usually wood. Because such battens are made strong enough to avoid fracturing in strong winds, they have resultant characteristics which are undesirable.

One such characteristic is failure to assume a desired shape. Battens without the novel features of our device do not bend with the sail and thusly cause bulges in the sail. This results in failure to make full and best use of the sail roach; a serious speed disadvantage in racing. Being stiff throughout, the conventional batten is slow to bend into a shape which will conform to the sail surface at all places. The conventional batten eventually tends to assume a curvature due to the force of wind on one side of the sail. Upon changing the direction of the boat whereby the force of wind is applied to the opposite side of the sail, the conventional batten undesirably tends to retain the curvature induced by the first mentioned force.

Also, conventional battens are undesirably heavy. The needed strength implies thick and wide dimensions, hence a weight problem results. The battens being located relatively high above the water the weight thereof results in an undesirable raising of the center of gravity of the boat.

As will hereinafter appear, our novel batten overcomes these usual unsatisfactory qualities. Our purpose has been accomplished by using a novel combination of materials. In addition thereto we have provided a batten which is comparatively stiff where stiffness is needed and more pliable where that characteristic is desirable.

Referring to the drawing showing the preferred structure in which like numbers represent like parts, in FIG- URE 1 the number 1 indicates an end portion of novel batten 13. Said end portion is preferably of two ply construction. It is formed as part of body portion consisting of two identical narrow flat strips of plastic iden- "ice tified as numbers 5 and 6 of the FIGURE 3. Various types of plastic material may be used. A glass resin material may be used to cover the outside of our novel batten. Such fiberglass epoxy l-aminations may be varied in thickness and stiffness. Such strips are preferably shaped with a narrow portion 3 in the middle thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Such portion 3 is of reduced size to reduce the Weight of the batten.

We prefer to use fiberglass laminations on both sides It is formed of unidirectional roving with epoxy resin binder on long threads of fiberglass. This occurs in the area of core portion 7. In the area indicated by the numbers 1 and 2 of the drawing we prefer to use bidirectional fiberglass cloth for lateral strength. The bidirectional cloth is not needed in the area of the core. The core itself strengthens the batten.

A core portion 7 of FIGURE 3 is made preferably of wood. Ma le is satisfactory. It is tapered at one end thereof as illustrated and is shaped similar to said body portions. Portion 7 preferably ends at the area indicated by the number 2. The plastic material surrounding the wood core prevents the wood from splintering.

Suitable adhesive substance may be used to laminate the core portion to the plastic portion.

Referring to FIGURE 3 the area on the right end thereof indicates the preferred use of glass resin material of the approximate thickness of .018 inch covering a wood core. The batten tapers gradually until at the entire left end thereof in said figure there is no wood core and the portions of plastics are sealed to each other. With such formation the batten can vary according to the requirements of a particular sail. Either end of the batten may be shortened if a length is specified. FIG- URE 4 illustrates the shape our batten may assume when in use. The area indicated by the number 8 indicates a gentle sweep assumed by the batten in a gentle wind. As the wind becomes stronger, the sail 15 and batten bend in unison as shown. The dotted line of said figure indicates the shape generally taken by the batten in winds of increasing intensity. The area 16 of the batten does not bulge but remains as if a smooth part of sail 15. Similar results obtain under increased stress as shown by the curve at a point 9 and in FIGURE 6 at point 14. Under such extreme circumstances it is observed that in the area 4 near the leech (see number 12 of FIGURE 5) the batten remains substantially stiff and unbending. In this manner full and efficient use of the entire sail area is maintained. Collapsing of the sail in the leech area is avoided.

The FIGURE 5, not drawn to scale, is a diagram showing generally the placement of our batten 13 in conventional pocket 11. The number 10 shows the mast position.

Our novel batten is operated by placing it in the sail pocket in the usual manner. It is important that the more resilient end portion 4 is placed nearest the leech. The batten then functions with the desired characteristics as described above.

While we have shown a present preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that we contemplate within the scope of our invention all those changes which will be obvious to one skilled in the art.

Having thusly described our invention, we claim:

1. A sail batten comprising at least a pair of strips of a predetermined length each having opposite end portions and a central portion therebetween, a core portion between the pair of strips extending between a first of the end portions through the central portion and terminating short of a terminal edge of a second of the end portions, said core portion tapering between said central and second end portions, the portions of said strips overlying said core being wholly bonded thereto, and the portions 4 of the strips overlying each other at the second end porend portions being wider than the central portion thereof. tions being similarly Wholly bonded thereto.

2. The sail batten as defined in claim 1 wherein said References Clted y the Exammel' core portion is constructed of Wood and said strips are UNITED STATES PATENTS each constructed from plastic material. 5

3. The sail batten as defined in claim 1 wherein said gg m core portion is constructed of wood, said strips being each constructed from plastic material, and both of said strip RG MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner- 

1. A SAIL BATTEN COMPRISING AT LEAST A PAIR OF STRIPS OF A PREDETERMINED LENGTH EACH HAVING OPPOSITE END PORTIONS AND A CENTRAL PORTION THEREBETWEEN, A CORE PORTION BETWEEN THE PAIR OF STRIPS EXTENDING BETWEEN A FIRST OF THE END PORTIONS THROUGH THE CENTRAL PORTION AND TERMINATING SHORT OF A TERMINAL EDGE OF A SECOND OF THE END PORTIONS, SAID CORE PORTION TAPERING BETWEEN SAID CENTRAL AND SECOND END PORTION, THE PORTIONS OF SAID STRIPS OVERLYING SAID CORE BEING WHOOLY BONDED THERETO, AND THE PORTIONS OF THE STRIPS OVERLYING EACH OTHER AT THE SECOND END PORTIONS BEING SIMILARLY WHOLLY BONDED THERETO. 